I love Mick's singing and I love his songs. Doesn't mean his voice isn't thin, reedy, and even a bit nasally. He covers it up well with great tunes, spirited delivery, double tracking, stacked harmonies (Bottom Line, for example), and co-leads with Joe. If you put Mick in a lesser band, it would be a lot more obvious.

What I find telling is listening to the Mick songs that have Joe parts vs. the Joe songs with Mick parts. Whenever Joe shows up in the middle of a Mick song, it's this warm, passionate presence (Something About England is very glaring, but also live Somebody Got Murdered) and it elicits excitement in me. When Mick shows up on a Joe song, it never elicits much out of me (Clampdown for example).

Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

What really astonishes me is how Hes is getting away with dropping a casual "Enrico Caruso" on the first page of this thread.

can Heston name more than five opera singers off the top of his head?

Pavarotti
Caruso
Carreras
Placido DomingoFreddie Mercury

if you know those names there's no way you don't know Maria Callas.

What about the blind dude? Bocelli?

Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

No real idea what makes a good singing voice. There are those like Steve Marriott, Steve Winwood, Reggie King, Steve Ellis who are incredible singers. But then there are those such as Lydon, Poly Styrene, etc who have no traditional vocal style but yet are no less thrilling to listen to. How about someone like Tymon Dog who is a real acquired taste.I guess it all comes down to the ear of the individual

Wasn't Poly classically trained? I think she has one of the best voices in rock history.

No real idea what makes a good singing voice. There are those like Steve Marriott, Steve Winwood, Reggie King, Steve Ellis who are incredible singers. But then there are those such as Lydon, Poly Styrene, etc who have no traditional vocal style but yet are no less thrilling to listen to. How about someone like Tymon Dog who is a real acquired taste.I guess it all comes down to the ear of the individual

Wasn't Poly classically trained? I think she has one of the best voices in rock history.

She trained in opera yes. I don't know for how long or if that makes her classically trained. However she has an amazing voice and her own distinct sound. Ironically Lydon was also given singing lessons.

No real idea what makes a good singing voice. There are those like Steve Marriott, Steve Winwood, Reggie King, Steve Ellis who are incredible singers. But then there are those such as Lydon, Poly Styrene, etc who have no traditional vocal style but yet are no less thrilling to listen to. How about someone like Tymon Dog who is a real acquired taste.I guess it all comes down to the ear of the individual

Wasn't Poly classically trained? I think she has one of the best voices in rock history.

She trained in opera yes. I don't know for how long or if that makes her classically trained. However she has an amazing voice and her own distinct sound. Ironically Lydon was also given singing lessons.

No real idea what makes a good singing voice. There are those like Steve Marriott, Steve Winwood, Reggie King, Steve Ellis who are incredible singers. But then there are those such as Lydon, Poly Styrene, etc who have no traditional vocal style but yet are no less thrilling to listen to. How about someone like Tymon Dog who is a real acquired taste.I guess it all comes down to the ear of the individual

Wasn't Poly classically trained? I think she has one of the best voices in rock history.

She trained in opera yes. I don't know for how long or if that makes her classically trained. However she has an amazing voice and her own distinct sound. Ironically Lydon was also given singing lessons.